Our World Fallaçade

Age of Exploration

Character Creation Guidelines

This page describes the character creation guidelines for this campaign. It’ll also be a brief description of how to start making a character if you’re new to D&D. Probably best to read to the bottom before you get started.

First of all, this is a D&D 3.75 game we’re playing. That means that we’re using the Pathfinder ruleset along with some of the late-game content of Wizards of the Coast’s revised 3.5 edition of D&D. What does that mean for you? GO WILD! Whatever crazy character you can think of will probably work. Keep in mind this is a gestalt game, so you effectively gain levels in two classes at the same time. Always wanted to play a Warlock | Gunslinger? Go at it!

Ability Scores

So how do we start? Well first of all, let’s talk about ability scores. We’re using point buy rules (see here), but I’m a generous guy so how does 33 points sound? That’s right, you can crank up your ability scores as much as you want until you’ve used 33 points – with four conditions (all before racial modifiers are considered): 1) no ability score may be above 18, 2) only one ability score may be above 16, 3) only one ability score may be below 10, and 4) no ability score may be below 8. This’ll be enough to get you two reasonably high ability scores, and them some – and you’ll need it since you’ll be leveling in two classes at once. Best to keep in mind the important ability scores for your main classes when you allocate everything. Also, there’s another house rule in effect to remember, you’ll be receiving 2 more ability score points at 4th level instead of 1, but they must go to different ability scores.

Races

Races next. Races are important in Fallaçade, but perhaps less than in other fantasy worlds. Generally class, social status, and faction matter more here. We’ll do classes next, and you guys won’t start with a faction, so forget about that for now. I’m going to keep the door open for just about all the races published in the D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder books, but I hold veto power so be reasonable. However, there’s not that many races in Fallaçade, so whatever race you choose will be considered a subrace of one of the 15 official races in Fallaçade: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, Orcs, Thranger (Knoll or cat-like), Goblins, Giants, Trolls, Deviathan (dragonborn, lizard folk, etc.), Lehscen (merfolk), Sauren (kobolds, avians, etc.), Qin (drow, insects, etc.), and Teotl (warforged, constructs, etc.). These races are distributed throughout the world geographically and ethnically, with representation in virtually every class, social status, and faction. Hybrids are also known to exist, but they are somewhat rare (except for Half-Orcs and Half-Elves, which are fairly common in the starting region). If you have a question or don’t know where to start, just let me know. I’ll try to finish all of those racial pages as soon as I can find the time.

Classes

As with races, technically all classes are allowed. We’re starting at level 1, with no experience, but first a few notes. For those of you that are familiar with the tier system for classes (see here), I’d like to keep this game somewhere between tiers 3 to 4 (or as close to that as possible in gestalt). To facilitate that, I’m going to put some serious role-playing limitations on tier 1 and 2 classes, such as Wizards, Clerics, Druids, etc., but you can still be one if you really want – just talk it over with me. This world is entering into an Age of Enlightenment after a Dark Age filled with witch hunts and false prophecies, so that’s generally what you’re dealing with there. To help bring some of the lower tier classes up to par, I’m going to allow a couple of things: you can use the Pathfinder core classes since they’re generally stronger than the 3.5 core classes, and you can fill up your dead levels as described here and here. Again, if you’ve got an questions or you don’t know where to start, just let me know.

Also, there’s a new power source to reflect Technology’s growing influence over the world. This is embodied by four new base classes, the Inventor Class, the Tinker Class, the Savant Class, and the Gunslinger Class. Steampunk fun should be strewn about everywhere in Fallaçade, but these classes make it especially badass. Definitely check them out.

Extras

Finally, there’s a few extra things your characters will be receiving at level 1. All characters start with the Planar Touchstone Feat for free. This is an exploration game, and I don’t want that feat to feel like a tax. In addition to your standard starting equipment, you’re allowed to have an item priced between 250-600 gold pieces that may or may not act as the key for a Planar Touchstone. The standard of living is a bit higher during this period, and I encourage you guys to pick up some steam powered gadget (if you have the Fantastic Science, this includes all the lowest level gadgets), though stay away from magic items. You can start with the base ability of some published Planar Touchstone site, but describe it in your backstory and talk it over with me so I can put it in the world.

Everyone starts with 3 Character Points to use during character creation or save for gameplay. Basically these are your personal currency to change the game. You can use them to bend the rules text for a feat or start as a higher social class, among many other things. During gameplay, you can even use them to introduce new characters or possibly even subplots. For those in the know, these subsume and replace action points. At the end of each session, I’ll give you guys a chance to award character points to the other players that you think did the best job roleplaying. This is a nice rule I like to add to give people a bit more incentive to roleplay and control over their character.

Also, I’ll be allowing flaws but they’ll be a lot tougher than the normal ones from Unearthed Arcana. Each flaw will relate to the feat that it grants and generally the flaw will impose a penalty that is at least twice the benefit of the feat. For example, if you use a flaw to take Weapon Focus (Longsword), you can expect the flaw to be something along the lines of, “…but you take a -1 to attack with all other weapons.” I feel like it’s got to be something that’s going to really affect your character or it’s not worth it.

Background & Final Notes

Ok, so I’d like you guys write a brief background for your characters. Ideally, it’d be a few paragraphs long, but at a minimum it should be a sentence with this format: “[Character Name] is a [adjective][slang name for profession] ([ class name 1 | class name 2 ]) that wants to [do something].” Any extra details like a physical description would also be appreciated.

I encourage you guys to stick to 1 or 2 sources outside of the core books when designing your characters. You’re responsible for bringing any extra material to the table, and if you don’t have the rules-text for something you want to do then you can’t do it. Now, if you post your characters on the campaign website with included rules text for abilities and feats (with page numbers, see the Scarlett Scorpion, then that’s acceptable, but just generally try to keep it simple. Also, all Dungeon and Dragon magazine material must be pre-approved. Again, if you have any questions, find me.